It’s not easy to burn this much good will so fast, and it doesn’t usually get any easier from here.
We have the first New York Times/Siena College poll since the election, and almost everyone will probably agree on this much: The findings are not good for President Trump.
You would be hard pressed to find a single “good” number for Mr. Trump in the survey.
His job approval rating is just 42 percent, and voters disapproved of his handling of every issue tested in the survey, including longstanding strengths like immigration and the economy.
Only 43 percent view him favorably, down from 48 percent in the final Times/Siena poll before the election and the lowest since his attempted assassination last July.
On question after question, voters say he’s going too far. Sixty-six percent of them say “chaotic” describes Mr. Trump’s second term well; 59 percent say “scary” fits at least somewhat well.
If his numbers aren’t good, just how bad are they?
For as long as he’s been a politician, Mr. Trump’s poll numbers could be subject to interpretation. On one hand, they’ve usually been weak by traditional standards. On the other, they could be seen as a sign of resilience, as many other politicians would have been doomed if they had acted like him. He did win the presidency twice, after all.
This time around, the glass is probably closer to half empty than half full for Mr. Trump. Here are four ways to look at it.